Carboxylic acids may be converted to nitriles by methods known in the literature. These nitrile intermediates can be used to prepare oxadiazole compounds which are inhibitors of five lipoxygenase activating protein (FLAP) and are thus useful for treating a variety of diseases and disorders that are mediated or sustained through the activity of leukotrienes including asthma, allergy, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory pain, acute chest syndrome and cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction and stroke. The preparation of oxadiazole compounds via a nitrile intermediate is disclosed in WO2012024150, “Oxadiazole Inhibitors of Leukotriene Production”.